Through Thick and Thin
by mazikeenpendragon
Summary: Carly tells Josslyn and Michael about the problems with their soon to be sibling.


**Through Thick and Thin**

**Summary: Carly tells Josslyn and Michael about the problems with their soon to be sibling. **

"Mom? Are you okay?" Josslyn asked in concern, wide blue eyes staring at her mother.

Carly sat up from where she was scrunched over the table, swiping hastily as the tears that spilled from her eyes. "Of course I am sweetie." She assured, holding out her arm for her daughter.

The teen walked over hesistantly, suspicion still in her eyes as she let her mother wrap an arm around her waist and kiss the side of her head.

"It's good to see you getting out and having fun, Josslyn." Her mother told her, brushing some silky strands of hair behind her ear.

Josslyn's lips quirked up a bit. "It feels good to be out. I finally realized that that's what Oscar would want for me."

Carly nodded. "Well I'm proud of you. I know it isn't easy, but it's good that you are trying to enjoy life again."

Her daughter let out a soft, annoyed sound and pulled away. "Stop trying to change the subject, mom! Why were you crying?"

A pained look lit up her mother's face. "It's really none of your concern, Josslyn. It's something for Sonny and I to worry about."

Josslyn gritted her teeth at that before whirling around and stalking out of her house to Dev who sat outside on the porch.

* * *

After Dev had parked, Josslyn immediately escaped the car and hurried into the ELQ offices with a mission. Her brother's secretary, Sierra Dawson must've gotten the hint that something was wrong because she went straight to Michael's office without Josslyn even having to ask.

As soon as Michael walked out of the office and saw the expression on his little sister's face, he knew something was wrong. He asked his secretary to cancel his appointments for the day and opened his arms wide to her.

Josslyn practically threw herself into his arms, finding comfort with her brother. "Somethings wrong with mom." She murmured softly, pulling away. Her eyes glistened with frustrated tears and she held herself as if there were a livewire underneath her veins.

Michael ran a hand through Josslyn's hair in an attempt to calm her with the soothing motions. "What makes you think that?" He wondered. He hadn't noticed anything, though admittedly, with the first anniversary of his son's death-an anniversary that was also Jonah's birthday, his new relationship with Sasha, work, and how he'd been trying to help Willow, he'd been pretty busy.

Josslyn let out a growl and started pacing back and forth. "I caught her crying in the kitchen." She explained. "I'd just walked into the house after going out on the boat with Cam, Trina, and Dev and I found her hunched over the table. She tried to act like nothing was wrong and changed the subject when I tried to ask."

Worry clenched at his heart at Josslyn's words but he forced himself to be the voice of reason. "Maybe it's just pregnancy hormones."

He got a emphatic shake of the head at that. "No. When I told her not to change the subject, she said it wasn't for me to worry about. That it was her and Sonny's problem."

Michael swallowed hard at that and he sighed. "Okay, let me take you home." He said, hoping his sister got the meaning of his words.

Josslyn gave him a relieved smile and followed him out of the office.

* * *

Dev had made himself scarce as soon as they all arrived back at the house, making the excuse that he was going to clean up the boat house.

Josslyn threw the boy a grateful smile as she and Michael walked into the house on a mission.

As soon as Michael entered the house, he saw why his sister had been so worried. Their mother was leaning against the counter, a mug of chamomille tea cupped in her hands, eyes distant as if her mind was on something. "Mom?" He asked softly.

Carly's head jerked up and her eyes widened as she saw her children side by side. She groaned as she realized where her daughter had disappeared to before she pasted on a smile. "Michael, don't tell me Josslyn worried you for no reason."

Her son's eyes became sad. "I didn't want to believe her at first, but something's definitely wrong. What happened? Is it something with the baby?" He fired off the questions as if he needed to get them out of his mouth immediately. He thought back to Jason's expression when he'd talked about the baby, everything suddenly adding up.

Their mother lowered her head and one of her hands left the mug she held to caress her baby bump. Finally, she looked up again, eyes red rimmed and gleaming with tears. "Sonny and I found out a few weeks ago that the baby has spina bifida." She finally confessed, voice so quiet. "We wanted to keep it secret until we knew more. But..it's pretty bad. They'll need to take the baby away to be looked over for surgery almost as soon as it's born."

Josslyn let out a sharp intake of breath beside of Michael and she immediately darted over to wrap her arms around their mother's middle. "We'll love them no matter what, mom. It will be okay." She uttered, pulling away to meet her mother's gaze with wide, certain eyes. She twisted a bit so she could throw her brother a meaningful look. "Won't we Michael."

Michael's head snapped up from where he was frozen in place by the news, memories of losing his son infiltrating his mind. He swallowed hard and tried to give his mother and sister a reassuring smile because that was what he did. He nodded and walked over to them both, wrapping his arms around both of them and kissing the tops of both their heads. "Of course we will." But inside, he felt pessimistic. He wasn't like his sister, filled with hope even after everything. He knew that anything could happen before the baby was born or even after. The death of his own son just moments after his birth was proof of that. It didn't matter what you did or how much you planned or cared, anything could happen. He could only be there for his family no matter what.


End file.
